Schwarzenegger to seek re-election, hoping to revive his special election initiatives -- and his popularity

Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer

Published
4:00 am PDT, Saturday, September 17, 2005

Califronia Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks during his third statewide series of �Conversations with Californians,� a town hall-style meeting Friday, Sept. 16, 2005, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) less

Califronia Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks during his third statewide series of �Conversations with Californians,� a town hall-style meeting Friday, Sept. 16, 2005, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris ... more

Photo: CHRIS CARLSON

Photo: CHRIS CARLSON

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Califronia Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks during his third statewide series of �Conversations with Californians,� a town hall-style meeting Friday, Sept. 16, 2005, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) less

Califronia Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks during his third statewide series of �Conversations with Californians,� a town hall-style meeting Friday, Sept. 16, 2005, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris ... more

Photo: CHRIS CARLSON

Schwarzenegger to seek re-election, hoping to revive his special election initiatives -- and his popularity

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2005-09-17 04:00:00 PDT San Diego -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, pledging to "finish the job" he started in the state's highest office, said Friday he would seek a second term in 2006 -- a promise his campaign hopes will boost funding and support for his embattled Nov. 8 special election ballot measures.

"I just wanted to let you all know ... I'm a follow-through guy," Schwarzenegger told a crowd of about 200 GOP activists, legislators and business leaders Friday who gathered inside a San Diego concert hall for an invitation-only town hall meeting.

Noting that he has been asked repeatedly whether he would run for office again, the Republican governor said: "So of course, I'm going to follow through with this year. I'm not in here for three years. I originally got into this ... to finish the job. I'm in here for seven years. Yes, I will run again."

The governor's statements came almost as an aside at the close of his third "Conversations with Californians" event this week -- carefully managed question-and-answer sessions before an audience of invited guests aimed at providing a platform for his Nov. 8 special election agenda.

The national cable news networks CNN and MSNBC carried portions of Schwarzenegger's event, but they cut away quickly when he stayed with his script, a repeat from the previous town hall events, touting his special election measures.

Schwarzenegger campaign officials and state GOP leaders dismissed questions about whether the governor has left room to change his mind and declared the governor's comments to be an ironclad promise.

"This was a commitment to run," said GOP state Chairman Duf Sundheim. "We've never doubted that commitment."

Schwarzenegger's chief campaign strategist, Mike Murphy, said voters and supporters could now "take it to the bank" that the governor would be on the ballot in 2006.

"By answering this question, we energize who we want to energize," he told reporters. "We're going to have plenty of money, and we're doing great in the polls."

With the special election approaching, Schwarzenegger's pledge reassured nervous backers that he was in the fight to stay, campaign aides said.

The governor's campaign also confirmed that he would tap his personal wealth to contribute to the effort to win passage of the ballot measures.

Schwarzenegger backs three initiatives -- to toughen teacher tenure requirements, revise the state budget and require judges rather than the Legislature to draw new political districts. But so far, polls show none of the measures has won the support of a majority of voters.

Schwarzenegger's re-election announcement had been expected for weeks and was met with protests from a crowd of California nurses, teachers and firefighters who showed up outside the downtown San Diego auditorium where he appeared. The nurses and teachers have dogged the governor over his policies for more than a year and are leading the opposition to his proposed ballot measures.

Rose Ann DeMoro, who heads the California Nurses Association, said Schwarzenegger's statements that he would run again and contribute to the special election himself "shows the depth of his commitment to benefit his corporate donors."

"He spent enough on a special election that no one wanted," she said.

State Treasurer Phil Angelides and Controller Steve Westly -- the two Democrats who have announced their bids for their party's nomination to face Schwarzenegger -- criticized the governor for failing to carry out his pledge to replace partisan rancor with bipartisan cooperation.

Schwarzenegger "is a ... photo-op politician who has left a long trail of shattered promises and missed opportunities," Angelides said in Sacramento.

Westly, who backed the governor after Schwarzenegger first took office, said "the governor came into this election promising real reform" but had "taken a hard turn to the right" and become a fundraising machine for special interests.

Schwarzenegger transformed himself from a top Hollywood box-office draw to the state's governor in the unprecedented Oct. 7, 2003, recall election of Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. Schwarzenegger took office as a Republican promising reform and an end to partisan bickering. He gained widespread support among GOP loyalists as well as Democratic and independent voters unhappy with Davis over a variety of issues, including the Democrat's extensive fundraising.

By August 2004, Schwarzenegger's job approval numbers had soared to 65 percent. But fights with the Democrat-dominated Legislature and attacks on unions, including teachers and nurses, have eliminated the goodwill.

The governor's job approval ratings, as measured by the Field Poll, dropped to 36 percent late last month.

The governor announced what he has called a "reform" agenda during his State of the State speech this past January. When he couldn't reach agreement with the Legislature on issues such as redrawing legislative districts and changing the state's budget process to give him more authority, Schwarzenegger called the special election and backed the initiatives that embody his proposals.

Critics have charged that the governor also has behaved much like the Democrat he replaced, raising more than $23 million during 2004 -- a record that is almost double Davis' largest annual effort.

The governor has raised another $12 million in his personal campaign committees through the first six months of 2005 while generating about half of his announced goal of $50 million for the special election measures.

The governor's campaign staff said Friday that Schwarzenegger would contribute personally to the special election campaign.

"He's prepared to make a statement and put his money where his reforms are and lead by example," said Todd Harris, spokesman for the measures.

Campaign strategist Rob Stutzman declined to specify how much the governor would donate, but said, "I think he'll be one of the campaign's larger donors."

Critics say the governor's decision to pull out his checkbook shows his fundraising efforts are lagging. "Clearly, he's not hitting his fundraising goals," Shum Preston, a spokesman for the California Nurses Association, said at the San Diego protest.

Harris, Schwarzenegger's spokesman, downplayed the re-election announcement, insisting the governor was focused on the special election.

"Today is not the formal kickoff of the re-election campaign," he said, adding that would come after the special election. "These reforms are much bigger than the governor."

Some in the audience said they were thrilled by the governor's decision to run for re-election.

"It's a positive step," said Assemblyman George Plescia, a Republican from San Diego. "A lot of people have been questioning if he'll run again ... so the timing is good. The campaign is started now, and I've learned not to count this governor out."